variation

the act, process, or accident of varying in condition, character, or degree:

Prices are subject to variation.

2.

an instance of this:

There is a variation in the quality of fabrics in this shipment.

3.

amount, rate, extent, or degree of change:

a temperature variation of 40° in a particular climate.

4.

a different form of something; variant.

5.

Music.

the transformation of a melody or theme with changes or elaborations in harmony, rhythm, and melody.

a varied form of a melody or theme, especially one of a series of such forms developing the capacities of the subject.

6.

Ballet. a solo dance, especially one forming a section of a pas de deux.

7.

Astronomy. any deviation from the mean orbit of a heavenly body, especially of a planetary or satellite orbit.

8.

Also called magnetic declination, magnetic variation. Navigation. the angle between the geographic and the magnetic meridian at a given point, expressed in plus degrees east or minus degrees west of true north.